A Keeper and His Huntress
by PinkRedRose
Summary: The story of Warden Mahariel is known to all, but very few to none at all know the story of their parents. This is the story of a keeper, Magnus Mahariel, and his beloved huntress, Lara Tarsis. Follow the story of their very first meeting which ultimately led to love, lies, and tragedy.
1. Prologue 1:Lara Tarsis

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Dragon Age or anything related to it.**

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><p>"I've been fighting to be who I am all my life. What's the point of being who I am, if I can't have the person who was worth all the fighting for?"<br>— Stephanie Lennox (I Don't Remember You)

**Prologue 1:Lara Tarsis**

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><p>The sun, having spent the entire day shining brightly in the sky, was now finally setting while the moon prepared to take it's place, signaling the end of day and the beginning of night. Clouds of all shapes and sizes were admired by those watching from below during daytime and now the bright stars that replaced them during nighttime would be admired until sunrise the next morning.<p>

All the beauty of the sky went unnoticed, however, by one person in particular. Short, titian-colored, curly hair was pulled up into a tight chignon rather than undone and stopping at it's owner's shoulders as it usually was. Light blue eyes were narrowed as they never once left the target just a few feet in front of them, and slowly, with a carefulness that only years of experience and training could have given them, the archer nocked their final arrow and shut their eyes for one, brief moment to send a silent prayer to both the goddess of hunt and the mother of the halla, the latter of which's design graced the archer's brow as their chosen _vallaslin_.

'Help me, oh faithful _Andruil_, and wonderful _Ghilan'nain_, to never forget _Vir Tanadahl, Vir Assan, __Vir Bor'assan, _and most importantly _Vir_ _Adahlen. _Help me make my clan proud _mahvir _night and do not let me fail them.' _  
><em>

Light blue eyes snapped open as the arrow was released. It flew straight, and it did not waver. A triumphant smirk spread across the archer's face as they stepped into the fading sunlight's view, fully revealing a young elven woman who had spent the entire day since sunrise, after quickly completing her chores, practicing her aim for the _Arlathvhen_ _mahvir_ night where she would be representing her clan, the Levine Clan, in the traditional archery competition.

The fact that Keeper Zathrian had chosen her was a great honor to the elven huntress known as Lara Tarsis, for it was normally a Dalish clan's Chief Hunter or the former's future successor who was chosen to represent their clan in archery, but rather than choose Athras, who was still young and thus had yet to choose a future successor, the keeper chose Lara. As one of the clan's finest hunters, she was expected to win without a doubt, that was what Keeper Zathrian had made sure to remind her of for the past few weeks, at least, though both Athras and his wife, Danyla, had assured Lara that so long as she did her best, that would be enough in the eyes of the rest of the clan even if she did not win.

"Excellent shot, _da'assan_. I've no doubt you will do us all proud in the archery competition _mahvir _night."

Lara twisted around to see Master Varathorn, the clan's craftsman, as well someone who had been like a big brother to her for years, standing behind her with a wide smile on his face. It was from him that Lara had learned how to carve her own bow, and it was he who had given her one of her most cherished possessions, a combat dagger, just a few days after she recieved her _vallaslin_ of _Ghilan'nain _so many years ago.

"_Ma serannas_, Master Varathorn." The huntress said, bowing in appreciation to him for his small praise.

The craftsman chuckled at her, nodding back."_Madar'ir'creoso__, da'assan." _He crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow."And what have I told you about formalities?"

Lara blushed, bowing her apologetically."_Abelas, lethallin_. It is a habbit I have yet to break, I fear."

"So long as you don't break your **bow** in the gathering _mahvir_ night, I don't think anyone really cares." Athras jested with a grin as he, Danyla, Elora, the clan's halla-keeper who wore the same design as and shared an _aravel_ witn Lara, and _Hahren_ Sarel, the clan's storyteller, all came to stand beside Varathorn. Danyla gave Athras a light smack on the arm to shut him up.

"Oh, _hollen na anto, _Athras." Lara said, rolling her eyes at him before smirking wryly and placing her hands on her hips in a very triumphant manner."You're just jealous that Keeper Zathrian chose me instead of you to represent us in the archery competition."

"And you're just jealous that you're still single and I'm not." He teased.

Snorting, Lara raised an eyebrow at Danyla."Seriously, _lethallan_, what do you see in him?" She asked wryly.

"I'm inclined to ask the same." Elora muttered under her breath while Sarel chortled to himself in amusement and Varathorn rolled his eyes with a sigh at their usual antics.

Danyla shrugged."I felt sorry for him." She replied nonchalantly.

"Hey!" Everyone laughed at Athras's indignant yell, causing him to grumble to himself and look away from them. Smiling, Danyla placed a kiss on his cheek.

"I'm just kidding, _ma vhenan_." She assured him."I chose you because _ma'arlath_."

Lara put on a disgusted face as they kissed."Oh, get an _aravel_, would you?"

"I agree." Sarel said with a nod."Or at least wait until you two are _u_. I find public displays of affection to be-"

"Inappropriate?" Lara interrupted with a smirk that made him roll his eyes at her in exasperation, but she paid no attention to it."Is there honestly anything that you **don't** find inappropriate, _lethallin_?"

"Himself, maybe?" Athras said with a shrug.

Sarel rolled his eyes again when they laughed loudly at him."_Ir'samahl_." He let out a sigh."Just be glad none of you have to look after the _len_. As much as I enjoy telling _era'en_ to **our** _len_, I find the other clans' _len_ to be very-"

"Inappropriate?" Danyla asked teasingly.

"Loud?" Varathorn offered.

"Annoying?" Elora suggested.

"Extremely unpleasant and disobedient, actually." He said dryly then sighed. Everyone else snickered in response before silence soon fell upon them.

"Who knows, _lethallan_? Elora broke the silence, smiling softy at Lara."Maybe you'll find a very nice certain someone at the gathering _mahvir_ night and make him _na vhenan'ara_."

Lara scoffed, rolling her eyes."_Emma'din isala'lath'sahlin, _ma serannas ir'limb, ma falon." ___  
><em>

"Someone's going to die _u_." Athras muttered, grinning. Danyla quickly brought up a hand to unsuccessfully muffle the way she tittered to herself at her husband and her friend's antics.

Lara glared at him."_Hollen na anto_, Athras." She snapped icily.

"And if I don't?" He retorted, arms crossed and eyebrow raised. He then let out a yelp as he barely ducked down in time to avoid the rock Lara suddenly threw at him in response while everyone else laughed loudly at him in amusement and Lara just smirked and folded her arms over her chest with an air of superiority and the slightest hint of arrogance crossing her face for just a moment.

'_Andruil_ be my witness, I **will** win the archery competition and make my entire clan proud of me at the gathering _mahvir_ night."

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><p><em>Okay, so, as you all can see this chapter has been rewritten and so has the entire story itself in general. I have decided to redo this from the very beginning for personal reasons and I am sorry to those who enjoyed reading first version of this story, but I promise you that you will enjoy this version even more and I encourage new readers to come read this as well. I also request that you read my other Dragon Age story The Heroines of Ferelden which is currently on hiatus becuase some events and characters from this story will appear and be mentioned as well in that story too. Oh, and the Levine Clan is just a pretty, little made-up name for Zathrian's clan since Bioware never felt the need to give us one. <em>

_Elven Translations: _

_Vallaslin - (Literally: Blood writing) The art of tattooing adopted by the Dalish to display their worship of the traditional elven pantheon. It also signifies each elf's coming into the status of adulthood among their clan._

_Andruil - Goddess of hunt_

_Ghilan'nain - Mother of the halla_

_Vir Tanadahl - Way of three trees_

_Vir Assan - Way of the arrow_

_Vir Bor'assan - Way of the bow_

_Vir Adahlen - Way of the forest_

_Mahvir - Tomorrow _

_Arlathvhen (Literally: For love of the people) Meeting of the Dalish clans that occurs every ten years._

_Da'assan - Little arrow; Master Varathorn's nickname for Lara._

_Ma serannas - My thanks/Thank you_

_Madar'ir'creoso - You are very welcome _

_Abelas - (Literally: Sorrow) Sorry_

_Hollen na anto - Shut your mouth_

_Hahren - Elder; term of respect. _

_Lethallan - Friend/Kinswoman (Female)_

_Lethallin - Friend/Kinsman (Male)_

_Len - Child/Children_

_Aravel - A wagon or tent used by the Dalish; humans call them "landships" _

_Era'en - Stories/Tales/Dreams_

_Ma vhenan - My heart_

_Ma'arlath - I love you_

_U - Alone _

_Ir'samahl (Literally: Very laugh/laughter) Very funny _

_Na vhenan'ara - Your heart's desire_

_Emma'din isala'lath'sahlin, ma serannas ir'limb, ma falon. - I am not in need of love in this moment, thank you very much, my friend._

_Name Meaning:_

_Lara - Shining/Cheerful/Protection/Famous_

_Next up: Prologue 2:Magnus Mahariel_


	2. Prologue 2:Magnus Mahariel

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Dragon Age or anything related to it.**

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><p>"A leader of men must make decisions quickly, be independent; act and stand firm; be a fighter; speak openly, plainly, frankly; make defeats his lessons; cooperate; coordinate; use the best of any alliances or allies; walk with active faith courageously toward danger or the unknown; create a staff; know, love and represent the best interests of his followers; be loyal, true, frank and faithful; reward loyalty; have a high, intelligent, and worthy purpose and ideal. Do justice; love mercy; fear no man but fear only God."<br>— John W Dodge

**Prologue 2:Magnus Mahariel**

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><p>Earlier that same day, the Sabrae Clan's camp, located only a few miles away from the Levine Clan's camp, was booming with activity. Hunters were out in the forest to check their traps and kill as many animals as they could until sunset so there would be enough food for the <em>Arlathvhen mahvir<em> night while all of the _hahren'en_ and _asha'en_ who did not serve as hunters were preparing what food they already had and a few of the older _len_ either assisted their parents with decorations or looked after the much younger _len_ who were running around like wilds animals as they laughed among themselves and brazenly ignored anyone who told them to quiet down. It wasn't until one _len_ made the mistake of accidentally bumping into _Hahren_ Paivel that they finally calmed down a little bit after receiving an annoyed glare and long lecture from the clan's elderly storyteller.

A young elven girl with long blonde hair and bright green eyes glinting with a certain kind of wisdom that was otherwise beyond someone her age made her way through the camp, careful not to bump into anyone as everyone hurried to make sure everything was ready for the upcoming gathering. Placing her staff behind her, the elven girl sighed in relief as she looked down to see that the basket of freshly-gathered herbs under her arm was still there and she had not dropped it. She had spent all morning out in the forest finding all of these special herbs for the keeper, one of which she did not even know existed until she saw it on the list the keeper had given her this morning.

The elven girl quickened her pace to get through the crowd more easily, eventually coming to a stop in front of one _aravel_ that stood out amongst the others. She hesitated for a moment to enter, peeking inside the unclosed flaps of the _aravel_ to see the keeper, a handsome young elven man clad in Dalish robes while his staff had been put to the side next to his bedroll. He was looking down at an ancient elven tome in his hands.

The keeper's dark blue eyes glinted with something resembling patience, kindness, cheerfulness, and great wisdom all rolled into one. His dark black hair was cut short, and the keeper himself was very tall and muscular beneath the robes he wore, but most of all, peace seemed to simply reflect off of him just like the powerful magic cursing through him that made him who he was as a keeper. Another thing that made him stand out from most keepers other than his merciful nature was the unique _vallaslin_ of _June_ on his face rather than the designs of either _Mythal_ or _Elgar'nan_ that all of the other keepers typically wore.

"_Aneth ara_, keeper." The elven girl cleared her throat loudly, nodding respectfully to him as she entered.

Blinking, Magnus Mahariel closed the tome in his hands and turned to face his first with a smile."_Aneth ara, da'len_." He nodded back at her, putting away the tome and accepting the basket of herbs she handed him with another bright smile."I see you have brought me the herbs I asked for you to find this morning." He nodded again."_Ma serannas, _Marethari."

Marethari looked away to hide her blush, bowing to the male elf."_Madar'creoso__, gisir_." She said quietly before straightening up a bit and adopting a more calmer visage."Is there anything else you require of me today?"

Smiling, he shook his head."_Nae, da'len_. You may go now. I have some things I must attend to now that you have brought me the necessary herbs for my own preparations. The rest of the day is yours. _Ma serannas _again for doing as I asked you to, _da'len_."

"_Ma nuvenin_, keeper." Marethari bowed deeply before turning to exit the _aravel_. Just as she was leaving, another elven woman, Ashalle, stopped at the entrance upon seeing Marethari. The two women exchanged small nods of acknowledgment then walked past each other in opposite directions.

"Already finished helping Ewan and Maren with the halla like I ordered you to, Ashalle?" Magnus asked over his shoulder with the slightest hint of mirth in his tone as he gave a very small smirk at the elven woman. Ashalle, being the immature and impatient _asha_ she was, rolled her eyes with a scoff then frowned grumpily and crossed her arms.

"You mean cleaning up after the pooping halla while they watched and laughed at me in front of Zephyr?" She spat with both venom and sarcasm practically spilling from her tone."Yes, I am finally finished going through that humiliating ordeal, thank you very much, _lethallin_."

Magnus chortled."Yes well, you may consider that _nan_ for sticking your nose into my personal life again." He said through his laughter, knowing full well how his childhood _falon_ felt about Zehpyr, the clan's Chief Hunter. Ashalle had been smitten with him for years and whether or not either of them cared to admit it, Magnus could tell that Zehpyr felt the same way about Ashalle.

Ashalle snorted."You don't have a personal life, _gisir_."

Sighing, Magnus turned to face her."I am a keeper, _lethallan_. My duty is to my clan and to my people. The life of a keeper is normally a very lonely one and-"

"And because of this, very few keepers ever bond with other elves or have _len_." She finished for him with a roll of her eyes. Ashalle always had a bad habit of butting into Magnus's business and more than anyone else in the clan, played matchmaker whenever she got the chance to do so. He knew she only meant well, but there were many times when this _asha_ just downright scared him or drove him insane with vexation **because** of how much she cared. Magnus sometimes found himself being torn between feeling touched by her desire for him to be happy or pulling all of his hair out while shouting and banging his head against a tree if it would just make her leave him alone already.

Besides, he'd already been intimate with other women in his slightly younger days before and after becoming keeper and learned that it was all nothing more than a physical attraction once the moment of passion itself had ended. Love just wasn't something he needed nor wanted in his life right now, or at all really. That was what he told himself all the time so he could sleep peacefully at night, at least.

"I do **not** sound **anything** like that, _lethallan_." He huffed indignantly with a slight frown on his face.

"Why, of course you don't." She cooed playfully, smirking at his very miffed glower.

Sighing, he pinched the bridge of his for a moment then looked up to scowl at her irritating smirk before pointing toward the exit of his _aravel_."Unless you want to be put on halla duty in front of Zephyr **again**, Ashalle, I suggest you leave now while you still have the chance." He narrowed his eyes as he spoke in a slightly dark tone of voice.

She rolled her eyes at him with a wry grin. It was true that she harbored a deep respect for him because of his status as keeper and the fact that he was a very good _falon_ hers since childhood, but she still found it highly amusing whenever he made the extremely rare occasion of trying to put on a tough act. Magnus rarely ever got angry and when he did, everyone knew it was best not to aggravate him further in any way, but such a thing ever occurring was just as common as flowers in the snowy winter. In other words, **this** was nothing more than simply him getting annoyed with and attempting to intimidate her into leaving by weakly affecting a false, ominous air of stern authority.

"_Daratisha__, gisir._" She said calmly, rolling her eyes again."_Ar'tu ven'sahlin ma nuvenin ar'ven_._ Dareth shiral_." That being said, she gave him a curt bow then turned and left the _aravel_ without another word or teasing remark directed toward him. _  
><em>

Once he was absolutely sure he was _u_, Magnus let out a long sigh."Oh, how I despise it when that _asha_ is right." He muttered under his breath.

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><p><em>Elven Translations: <em>

_Arlathvhen (Literally: For the love of the people) Meeting of the Dalish clans that occurs every ten years._

_Mahvir - Tomorrow _

_Hahren/Hahren'en - Elder/Elders _

_Asha/Asha'en - Woman/Women_

_Len - Child/Children_

_Aravel - A wagon or tent used by the Dalish; humans call them "landships"_

_Lethallan - Friend/Kinswoman (Female)_

_Lethallin - Friend/Kinsman (Male)_

_Vallaslin - (Literally: Blood writing) The art of tattooing adopted by the Dalish to display their worship of the traditional elven pantheon. It also signifies each elf's coming into the status of adulthood among their clan._

_June - God of crafts_

_Mythal - (Literally: The great protector) Chief elven goddess; Wife of Elgar'nan; Goddess of love, protection, and motherhood. _

_Elgar'nan - (Literally: Spirit of vengeance) Chief elven god; Husband of Mythal; God of vengeance and fatherhood. _

_Aneth ara (Literally: My safe place) A sociable or friendly greeting, more commonly used among the Dalish themselves rather than with outsiders._

_Da'len - Little child; __to describe someone young, innocent, or dear._

_Ma serannas - My thanks/Thank you_

_Madar'creoso __- You are welcome_

_Daratisha - Be at peace_

_Ar'tu ven'sahlin ma nuvenin ar'ven - I will go now as you wish me to go_

_Dareth shiral - (Literally: Safe journey) Farewell _

_Nae - No_

_U - Alone_

_Ma nuvenin - As you wish _

_Nan - Revenge/Vengeance_

_Falon - Friend_

_Gisir - Keeper _

_Name Meaning: _

_Magnus - Great_

_Next up: Chapter 1:Oaths _


	3. Chapter 1:Oaths

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Dragon Age or anything related to it.**

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><p>"I made an oath to myself:<br>as long as I live  
>as long as my soul remains in this body<br>I won't deviate from the right way  
>but later I looked to my left and then to my right<br>and I saw our beloved everywhere  
>how could I make a wrong turn?"<br>— Rumi (The Rubais of Rumi: Insane with Love)

**Chapter 1:Oaths**

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><p><em>Hear me, sons and daughters of the People<br>I am Sister of the Moon, Mother of Hares,  
>Lady of the Hunt: Andruil.<br>Remember the Ways of the Hunter  
>And I shall be with you.<em>

Those exact words rang through Lara's head everyday. It was her duty as an _Elvhen_ hunter to always remember these words and the meaning behind them. If **any** hunter **ever** forgot these sacred words, then they did not deserve to call themselves Dalish, for if it was not for _Andruil_, there would be no hunters to do the hunting or animals to be pursued by the hunter. The _Elvhenan _owed their beloved goddess of the hunt much, and anyone who failed to proerly honor Her, was not only showing a complete lack of both love and respect for _Andruil_, but also showing themselves as being no better than the disgusting _shemlen_ and their worthless, flat-eared pets. **  
><strong>

It had been several years ago, but knelt down in front of a statue of _Andruil_ now, Lara could easily remember the day she'd first become a true hunter, having brought back the pelt of a large bear who she'd killed all by herself. The entire clan had gathered around the former hunter apprentice, congratulating her on her accomplishment before quieting down and moving aside so Lara could slowly approach the keeper, who stood in silence outside of his _aravel_ with his face maintaining it's usual stoical mask as Lara carefully placed the pelt at his feet and knelt down before him with her head bowed low as a sign of deep respect for the man who was her keeper as well as the first of the _Elvhenan _to rediscover the immortality of their ancestors.

For the longest time, Zathrian remained silent, his eyes locked on both the pelt and the elven huntress kneeling before him. He cleared his throat eventually, and Lara took that as a sign that she could look up, but still hesitated to fully raise her head and allow her light blue eyes to meet Zathrian's dark, unreadable ones. She could herself querying with tremulousness under his gaze as he gave a curt nod of his head then gestured for her to follow him into the _aravel_. Lara followed him inside, lowering her eyes and biting her lip as she watched the keeper retrieving a tome from one of his chest and opening it to the first page.

After about half-a-second, he looked up at her, face still an emotionless mask, and beckoned her closer with another brief nod. She nodded back, already knowing what was in the tome by the time she came to a stop in front of him. Wordlessly, the tome was placed into the huntress's hands, showing her all of the designs that she would have to choose from for her _vallaslin_. Not even two seconds later, she looked up to give him a nod and pointed at the design that would soon grace her brow; _Ghilan'nain_.

It was obvious by the brief widening of his eyes that Zathrian was slightly surprised by this rather unexpected decision of hers. Most _Elvhen_ hunters usually wore the design of _Andruil_, the craftsmen typically had _June_, halla-keepers preferred _Ghilan'nain, _and most importantly, the keepers, including Zathrian himself, wore either _Mythal_ or _Elgar'nan_. That was just the way that a lot of the _Elvhenan _chose their _vallaslin_. There was certainly no law regarding making a decision such as this one; it was just a normal pattern of how things went in most Dalish clans that very few acted differently from.

The suprise in Zathrian's eyes vanished as quickly as it had originally appeared and he nodded slowly, gesturing for her to have a seat so they could begin the sacred, silent ritual of adulthood. Once the ritual was finally complete , Zathrian nodded and for the first time in the last few hours of silence, he smiled widely, making him look much younger. He'd then stated that it was done; Lara Tarsis was no longer a mere _da'len_ and hunter apprentice; she was now a grown woman by Dalish standards and a true _Elvhen _huntress in the eyes of her people.

Recalling everything now, Lara couldn't help but feel a bit nervous about the gathering tonight. The clan was already packing up their belongings while Elora prepared the halla to move on so they could meet with the other Dalish clans today at sunset. Lara could not stop thinking about the archery competition in which she would be the one to represent their clan. She was very confident in herself, of course, but at the same time she was also more than slightly worried about failing to do her clan proud. Even if she **was** one of the finest hunters the _Elvhenan _had to offer, it was only natural for any person to feel nervous when they felt that more than a little pressure had been put on them. _  
><em>

That was why she'd come to kneel down before the statue of _Andruil_, hoping that offering some sort of small prayer to her people's hunter godness might help to calm some of her nerves until it was finally time for the gathering. It seemed to help a little bit, but not that much as these thoughts still continued to plague her mind, so she shook her head vehemently to rid herself of such negative thoughts and sighed before slowly standing up and walking back towards her _aravel_ to get ready for tonight.

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><p><em>We are the Dalish: keepers of the lost lore, walkers of the lonely path. We are the last of the <em>Elvhenan and never again shall we submit.<em>_

As a keeper, it was Magnus's duty more than any other elf's to never forget the meaning behind those exact words, especially the part with the words 'keepers of the lost lore' included in it. He was not a ruler, seeing as the Dalish had no rulers to begin with; they followed the commands of their wise and noble keepers out of respect and love for both their people as well as what little they knew about their lost lore at the moment thanks to the _shemlen_ and their flat-eared pets ruining everything.

Magnus sighed at the thought of the _Elvhenan's _almost eternal conflict with both humans and city elves alike for so many centuries. He'd never enjoyed it whenever one of his clan members frightened or threatened a _shem_, and even more so despised it when he could not avoid a fight by simply moving on to a different campsite or settling for a temporary truce with their neighbors for at least one week of peace without constantly being at each other's throats.

It was sad that very few felt the same way as he did about the bad blood between humans and elves. He remembered back when he was still a mere _len_ who loved hearing stories about their people's history, which was especially important for him since he was First to the old keeper before him and thus, had a duty to remember as much of the _Elvhenan's_ language and history as possible.

He'd always taken that duty seriously, showing love and kindness to everyone, be they a _shem_ or an elf. There was one day when Ilana, one of the female hunters who would be representing their clan in the archery competition tonight, had excitedly come back with a few other hunters to tell or show him something, and that something horrified him beyond words. Ilana presented to him her dagger which was covered in the blood of a dead human man whose heart she had torn out herself while her two male fellow hunters bragged about how the unfortunate _shem_ had begged desperately in tears for mercy before and while they killed, claiming that he had a wife and son waiting for him back in his village, but it did nothing to touch any of their hearts in the slightest.

How could they have been so cruel and sadistic, he had shouted lividly at them. The man claimed to have a family and had done nothing wrong. He was not to blame for whatever deeds his ancestors might have or might not have committed against the _Elvhenan. _Did they not understand that they had wrongfully taken the life of an innocent man without showing even a hint of remorse? Magnus felt pity for the poor man and even prayed that the _shemlen_ Maker god would grant him _atisha_ and hoped the Creators would forgive Ilana and the other two hunters for the horrid act they had committed.

Even now, years later, it still haunted Magnus to think about the death of an innocent man who just happened to be at the wrong place, at the wrong time and received a fate he did not deserve. Would all of this pointless bloodshed ever end? He wasn't so sure if he really even **wanted** an answer to that dreadful question, so he just closed his eyes tightly, let out another sigh, and tried to meditate for a few minutes in _atisha_ before they would start moving on for the gathering tonight.

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><p><em>Elven Translations:<em>

_Andruil - Goddess of hunt _

_June - God of crafts _

_Ghilan'nain - Mother of the halla _

_Mythal - (Literally: The great protector) Chief elven goddess; Wife of Elgar'nan; Goddess of love, protection, and motherhood. _

_Elgar'nan - (Literally: Spirit of vengeance) Chief elven god; Husband of Mythal; God of vengeance and fatherhood._

_Elvhen - (Literally: Our people) Elven name for their own race._

_Elvhenan (Literally: Place of our people/Our hearts) Original name for the elven civilization. _

_Shems/Shemlen (Literally: Quick children) Humans_

_Vallaslin - (Literally: Blood writing) The art of tattooing adopted by the Dalish to display their worship of the traditional elven pantheon. It also signifies each elf's coming into the status of adulthood among their clan._

_Da'len - Little child;_ _to describe someone young, innocent, or dear._

_Len - Child/Children _

_Aravel - A wagon or tent used by the Dalish; humans call them "landships"_

_Atisha - Peace, peaceful _

_Next up: Chapter 2:Dar'ben'din'dar (To be or not to be)_


	4. Chapter 2:Dar'ben'din'dar

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Dragon Age or anything related to it.**

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><p>"<em>To be, or not to be, that is the question." - <em>William Shakespeare (Hamlet)

****Chapter 2:Dar'ben'din'dar (To be or not to be)****

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><p><em>"No, he is not ready! You would be fools to put him through this!" A very unpleasant and almost hoarse voice croaked out, sounding as if it belonged to a dangerous entity of some sort rather than an elf or <em>shemlen_. The voice was definitely far too hoarse to belong to the ever so sly Dread Wolf or any demon. Did it belong to an animal then?_

_As if hearing Magnus's thoughts, the voice shrieked loudly."I am no animal! I am Fear, not your repulsive Dread Wolf!" _

_"Silence, Fear!" Another voice snapped, clearly irritated by the first voice's unwanted comments."And the same goes for you as well, Deceit! Do I make myself clear?" _

_Two loud shrieks echoed in unison."Yes, _Dirthamen_!" _

_Magnus's eyes immediately snapped open upon hearing this, and he quickly sat up before realizing that he was lying on the ground, which was covered with grass and several lovely flowers growing all around him.__"Where am I?" He asked himself aloud as looked around in an attempt to try to understand his current location."Am...am I dreaming? Is this just a dream or a demon trying to trick me?" _

_"No, _gisir_, it is not a demon, but you are indeed dreaming." A soothing feminine spoke to him, though it did little to quell the confusion and unease boiling within him. The feminine voice seemed to understand this and chuckled lightly."_Dar'atisha_, we only wish to speak with you. Nothing more, nothing less." __  
><em>

_"Th-This is the Beyond then, isn't it?" Magnus asked quietly, slowly rising to his feet."Fear and Deceit were the ones taunting me just now, weren't there? Before _Dirthamen_ forced them to stop. You...you are the __Creators__ and you wish to speak with me? Why? What could I have possibility ever done to deserve so much as hearing a word being said to me by the benevolent Creators? I am not worthy of such an honor." _

_"That, _gisir_, is where you are wrong." A voice that sounded slightly similar to _Dirthamen's_ replied with a chortle. There was no doubt in Magnus's mind that it belonged to the former's twin brother, _Falon'Din_._

_"Yes," Another feminine voice, much more sharp but still very calm and compassionate, said in agreement,", you are perhaps the most noblest and worthiest of the _Elvhenan_ that we have ever seen in all our years of being trapped in the Beyond and watching over your people. You are more benevolent and kind than even any of us could ever hope to be, _gisir_. Do not ever doubt that."_

_"No matter how much we tell him that, _oselle_, he will never believe it." Yet another feminine voice joined in, amusement clear in her tone. Something in his mind kept on telling him she was _Andruil _while_ _the voice before hers appeared to belong to _Sylaise_. _ _  
><em>

_"I agree, _lethallan_," Another __equally-amused feminine said with a laugh,", I agree completely." On a hunch, he guessed it was _Ghilan'nain_. _

_"That is enough, you three." The first female voice which had originally spoke to him interjected, a warning clear in her tone. Magnus had already deduced that she was most likely _Mythal_. _

_"Yes, we are wasting time with all of this pointless praising when we **should** be delivering some important news to him." This new male voice was rather strict and brusque, as if he wanted for this conversation to end as soon as possible. Did it belong to _Elgar'nan_, perhaps? _

_The first female voice chuckled in response."Is that jealously I hear in your tone, _emma'lath_?" _Falon'Din_ and _Dirthamen_ both laughed in unison at their _mamae's_ teasing question toward their _papae_._

_"Yes _Elgar'nan_, do you dislike the idea of us praising someone else who is not you?" __Another deep male voice__ asked dryly. _

Elgar'nan_ seemed annoyed by this."Watch the way you speak to me, _June_." He warned and Magnus wondered whether or not the lead Creator's eyes were narrowed as he spoke. If so, it probably made him seem more intimidating to the others along with the obvious annoyance and impatience that his tone of voice reflected rather clearly. _

_"Oh, how I shake in my toes at your threatening words, _lethallin_!" The voice of _June_ replied with mock seriousness and a smirk obviously teasing his lips even though Magnus could not see it. _

_Magnus coughed tentatively."I do not mean to sound blunt myself, oh benevolent Creators, but I do not understand why you have brought me here when I still have a duty to my people as their keeper and protector from those who are sly like _Fen'Harel_." _

_"Such devotion and loyalty." Sylaise commented in admiration."_Ir quel_, we will not delay any longer. Let us tell you what we must and then we shall release you back to your clan where they await your return." _

_Magnus hesitated."I also am confused as to why I can hear what you say but yet I cannot see any of you." He said in a whisper._

_"Perhaps when we next speak with you, you shall see us as well as hear us." _June_ answered softly in a way that made Magnus think again of his reasons for choosing the god of crafts instead of _Elgar'nan_ or _Mythal_. It did not appear that _Mythal_ was at all bothered by this, but based on his own behavior, _Elgar'nan_ was clearly at least a little bit irritated with his decision. Then again, it seemed as if _Eglar'nan_ was irritated by literally **everything** that didn't involve him. _

_'And I thought Keeper Zathrian was a bitter old prune.' Magnus thought to himself in slight wry amusement._

_"You do realize we can hear every single one of your thoughts, do you not, _gisir_?" _Elgar'nan_ asked icily, nearly spitting the words at him. _

_"Do not act as if what he thinks is not **true**, _papae_." _Falon'Din_ retorted with a snort. _

Elgar'nan_ scoffed at his son's words."Can we **please** just tell him what we were supposed to and end this already?" He demanded impatiently. _

_"_Emma'lath_, please!" _Mythal_ was no doubt giving her mate a scolding and exasperated look as she spoke. With a sigh, she muttered something incoherent under her breath and cleared her throat before moving back to the topic at hand."_Emma ir abelas_ about my mate's behavior, _gisir_, but as I am sure you have already figured out, he is not used to keepers choosing the design of someone else besides myself or himself."_

June_ chuckled, amusement filling his tone."Yes, he is quite jealous that someone who is not at all a craftsman would choose my design, but as he very much simply refuses to acknowledge, there are **not** any rules regarding anyone's choice of _vallaslin_." _

_"_Hollen na anto, June_!" _Elgar'nan _snapped. _June_ did nothing of the sort, and very soon the two male voices were arguing with each other like cats and dogs. _

_Magnus could practically _**_hear_ **Ghilan'nain_ rolling her eyes in exasperation as she sighed loudly."Oh for the love of..." She muttered under her breath. _

_"Here we go again..." _Andruil_ sighed deeply. _

_Hearing the Creators arguing like petulant _len_ both surprised and slightly amused Magnus. He'd heard many stories of these gods growing up, but never had he or any me member of the _Elvhenan_ pictured their gods as acting so playfully and sulky toward one another. How strange it was to hear them act this way. _

_"Enough!" Mythal snapped, instantly silencing both _Elgar'nan_ and _June_. _

_"You have our sincerest apologies, _gisir_." _Sylaise_ spoke softly."This does not happen often, but it **does** still happen occasionally. Regardless, you did not deserve nor need to hear that."_

_"Agreed." _Dirthamen_ said as Fear and Deceit started making croaking sounds again though they were mostly ignored by everyone else."The reason why we have paid you this visit in your dream is that there is something of utmost importance that we must inform you of so that you will be ready once it has finally occurred." _

_Magnus nodded."Yes, please tell me what danger it is that I must be wary of."_

June_ chortled."I am not so sure that you may call what we are about to tell you dangerous. Though given our fears and doubts at the moment, I suppose it might turn out that way if we are not careful." _

_"Don't you mean if **he** is not careful?" _Elgar'nan_ retorted bitterly. _

_"Does anyone here mind if I shoot him with an arrow just to shut him up?" _Andruil_ asked dryly. _

Mythal_ gave a deep sigh."Unfortunately, _lethallan_, **I** do mind, so I am afraid you cannot shoot him down with an arrow. **Yet**." _

_"A pity." _June_ remarked wryly before turning his attention back to the task at hand."You were saying, _Dirthamen_?" _

Dirthamen_ cleared his throat."Yes of course. As I was saying before my _papae_ so **rudely** interrupted me," He paused briefly,", the _Arlathvhen_ that you are to attend tonight, let us just say that it will be a very life-changing experience for you."_

_Magnus frowned in confusion, looking up at the sky despite knowing that he could only hear the Creators speaking and not see them."I do not understand. What do you mean by this? How will this gathering of the clans be a life-changing experience for me? Please elaborate." _

Falon'Din_ sighed."Unfortunately, we cannot tell you anymore than this: _Sa'vunin, na len _will wear my brother's design as well as my own on theirs brows and they will do you proud."_

_"_Ma len_?" Magnus's head snapped up in both surprise and confusion."What do you mean _ma len_ will wear your designs? _Emma dar sa papae_?" _

_"_Emma abelas_." _Dirthamem_ said with a sigh."But we can say no more than that. _Dareth shiral, gisir_, and never forget what we have told you here, for these words will prove to be true very soon and they will stay with you until the end." _

_That was when a bright light flashed right before his eyes and everything vanished. _

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><p><em>Okay, I know it's been more than a month since I last updated this and I'm SO VERY sorry about that, but life has been really hard and busy for me lately, so naturally, my updates are much slower than usual but things have slowed down a bit for me now so I should be back to updating everything on my usual schedule. For now, please remember to review, leave constructive criticism, but no flames! <em>

_Elven Translation: _

_Shemlen - Humans_

_Gisir - Keeper_

_Fen'Harel (Literally: The Dread Wolf) An enigmatic trickster god of the elves, whose betrayal of both the benevolent Creators and malefic Forgotten Ones is the only explanation most elves have to explain the destruction of Arlathan. _

_Dirthamen - (Literally: Keeper Of Secrets) Twin brother of Falon'Din. Master of the two ravens Fear and Deciet._

_Falon'Din - (Literally: Friend Of The Dead) Elven god of the dead who guides the elven people's dead souls into the Beyond. Twin brother of Dirthamen._

_Mythal - (Literally: The great protector) Chief elven goddess; Wife of Elgar'nan; Goddess of love, protection, and motherhood._

_Elgar'nan - (Literally: Spirit of vengeance) Chief elven god; Husband of Mythal; God of vengeance and fatherhood. _

_Sylaise - (Literally: The hearthkeeper) Goddess who gave the elves fire, taught them how to weave rope and thread, and to use herbs and magic for healing purposes. Sister of Andruil. _

_Andruil - Goddess of hunt _

_June - God of crafts_

_Ghilan'nain - Mother of the halla _

_Dar'atisha - Be at peace _

_Elvhenan (Literally: Place of our people/Our hearts) Original name for the elven civilization._

_Ir quel - Very well_

_Emma'lath - My love _

_Mamae - Mother _

_Papae - Father _

_Oselle - Sister _

_Lethallan - (Female) Friend/Kinswoman _

_Lethallin - (Male) Friend/Kinsman_

_Vallaslin - (Literally: Blood writing) The art of tattooing adopted by the Dalish to display their worship of the traditional elven pantheon. It also signifies each elf's coming into the status of adulthood among their clan._

_Arlathvhen (Literally: For the love of the people) Meeting of the Dalish clans that occurs every ten years._

_Hollen na anto - Shut your mouth _

_Emma ir abelas - I'm very sorry _

_Su'vunin - A single day/One day _

_Na len - Your children _

_Ma len - My children _

_Emma dar sa papae? - I am to be a father?  
><em>

_Emma abelas - I'm sorry _

_Dareth shiral - Farewell_

_Next up: Chapter 3:Arlathvhen _


	5. Chapter 3:Arlathvhen

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Dragon Age or anything related to it.**

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><p>"Be humble for you are made of Earth,<br>Be noble for you are made of stars"  
>— Stellar StarElven<p>

**Chapter 3:Arlathvhen**

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><p><em>"Melava inan enansal<br>ir su araval tu elvaral  
>u na emma abelas<br>in elgar sa vir mana  
>in tu setheneran din emma na<em>

_lath sulevin  
>lath araval ena<br>arla ven tu vir mahvir  
>melana 'nehn<br>enasal ir sa lethalin."_

As the last few lyrics of the song were finished, Lara felt a small smile cross her lips along with a feeling of pure peace fill her soul. It was because of the fact that she'd always loved listening to that particular song that she felt this way upon hearing the familiar tune, especially amongst her friends and loved ones. A content sigh escaped the huntress's lips as she closed her eyes and straightened up a bit. **This** was what it **truly** felt like to be _Elvhen, _and anyone who thought otherwise was a complete and utter fool making inane and ridiculous assumptions on things they knew absolutely little to nothing about.

Leaning back against a nearby tree, she crossed her arms and allowed her shoulders to relax in an attempt to wash away the stress boiling within her for when the competitions between each of the clans would begin, most importantly the archery competition of course. She'd gotten in as much practice as possible over the last few weeks since the decision had been made by Keeper Zathrian for her to represent their clan. The thought of it evoked an inaudible sigh from Lara; she was honestly excited but still a great deal nervous, especially since Keeper Zathrian was a very stern leader who had extremely high expectations for everyone in his clan, but Lara knew the old man only behaved the way he did out of love and a desire to protect his people, and after hearing about how he'd lost his beloved children several years ago to _shemlen, _Lara couldn't exactly say that she really blamed him for his behavior most of the time.

Besides, Keeper Zathrian wasn't **always** cold and stern; there were quite a few moment in Lara's life when she saw him crack a smile or two and even laugh along with everyone else around the campfire while Sarel told stories of their ancestors. It was rather pleasant to see him act like that, despite how rarely it happened, it still did happen on many occasions throughout her life. Lara would be lying, however, if she claimed that there were not more than a few times when she also secretly possessed the desire to shoot her elderly keeper in the mouth with an arrow whenever he acted a little too harsh and more than just a little bit unreasonable. She shook her head and sighed deeply; her keeper was a very complicated man and sometimes it was simply for the best that she not dwell too much on the subject, lest she put any unnecessary confusion or worry on herself when she already stressed enough about the archery competition later tonight.

"So how's my favorite little huntress doing?" Lara jumped slightly in surprise at the sudden voice, but quickly recognized who the voice belonged to and resisted the urge to roll her eyes as she looked up to see the person in question standing right in front of her with an extremely annoying smile on his face that he probably thought made him look attractive when in reality, it made Lara want to gag just at the mere sight of him.

It was Errol, her fellow hunter and unwanted suitor who'd been obsessed with her for many, **many** years since he first received his _vallaslin_ of _Andruil_ almost an entire year after she received her own of _Ghilan'nain_. Errol had almost immediately began bragging about his success in also becoming a full hunter a few weeks prior, no doubt thinking for some unknown reason that this would somehow impress her. Instead, it did the exact opposite; Lara was completely disgusted and vexed by his boasting. A true _Elvhen_ hunter did not ever brag about themselves or their success. Errol, on the other hand, seemed perfectly content to disrespect everything the _Elvhenan_ stood for and behave no better than a despicable _shemlen_ or filthy flat-ear was expected to behave.

In addition to his vexatious and cocky attitude, Errol's physical appearance was even more repulsive and unpleasant to endure. Like many male rogues of the Levine Clan, he had long dark brown hair and was naturally very tall and muscular because of the fact that he was a hunter, but there was absolutely nothing attractive about him in the slightest. Rather than tie his hair up in a braid like Athras or have it in a normal enough style like Master Varathorn did, Errol's hair was always messed up and fell over his light green eyes that constantly glinted with an irritating sense of pride and ignorance which only served to make him even more unpleasant to be around for Lara. To say that she disliked the man would be an understatement; Lara completely despised him with a burning hatred and annoyance that not even her contempt for the _shemlen_ could overcome a great majority of the time.

Narrowing her eyes, Lara lifted her chin and glared coldly at Errol."Go away, Errol." She said icily, not in the mood to deal with his undesired flirtation and bragging in this moment, or in any moment actually.

Errol's smile widened, and he remained blissfully ignorant of Lara's icy tone of voice and light blue eyes narrowed into an equally icy glare which were both directed at him."Still playing hard to get?" He asked teasingly, a roar of laughter escaping from deep inside his throat when she scowled furiously at him in response. The fool simply did not know how to take a hint that she was not interested in him and leave her be, which was why he kept on stalking her like she was some sort of prey he could catch and present as a trophy for all to see. The thought of it angered Lara beyond words; she was not some kind of bloody piece of property or prize that one could win and play around with like a common _asha'alas_.

"What part of 'go away' don't you understand, _seth'lin_?" She growled at him, one eyebrow raised questioningly in vexation as she eyed the elven man as if he were no better than the dirt she walked on. Heck, even the dirt she walked on deserved more respect than this pathetic excuse for an elf!

Much to her irritation, Errol gave another sharp roar of laughter loud enough to frighten a few nearby _len_ and make them run while screaming loudly into the safety of their parents and older siblings' arms. Lara could've sworn she saw one teenage elven girl still without her _vallaslin_ shooting a glare toward Errol's back as she took her two frightened younger brothers by their hands and swiftly dragged them away from the source of their fright. Once again, Errol chose to remain blissfully ignorant of the scene behind him and Lara grit her teeth painfully as she fought not to punch him in the face and knock him out cold for the rest of the night.

"I'm going to assume you came here for another reason other than to vex me with the repulsive sound of your voice and laughter?" She asked rhetorically, her sneer making it clear that she was not expecting an answer and wanted him to leave, but the ever so ignorant Errol did not even seem to **notice** her vexation with him at all and simply continued to smile and snort to hold back more roars of laughter like an undignified pig.

"You would be correct in that assumption of yours then, _da'assan_." He replied, still smiling and completely failing to notice the way her head snapped up and eyes glinted with ire over the fact that he would **dare** to use the nickname Master Varathorn had given her when she still a mere _da'len_. Hearing it come from Errol's lips instead of the man who she regarded as something akin to an older brother made the huntress's blood boil.

"Don't call me that!' She shouted, face flushing with anger that he apparently mistook for embarrassment at first. By _Mythal_, this man was such a pain in the neck to put up with for even one damn minute! Her fists were clenched at this point and her brows knitted together into a nasty scowl. Only when she made eye contact with him did he finally seem to realize her anger over his use of the nickname that only the Levine Clan craftsman was allowed to use around her.

Errol put his hands up, the smile on his being replaced with an apologetic frown and nod of his head for but the briefest of seconds before he went back to his usual self and gave her a coquettish grin."_Abelas_, I didn't mean to upset you. The real reason why I came here was actually because-"

"Whatever it is you want from me, my answer is no." She said coldly."Now go away and leave me alone."

Errol refused to take the warning and took a step toward her, invading her personal space as well as testing her temper a great deal. The idiot had no idea whatsoever when to back the hell off, which only served to vex the female elf even more. She desperately wished he would just go away already instead of cause her unwanted stress that she could not afford right now when the archery competition was supposed to happen very soon.

Giving a low bow, Errol raised his head to give the object of his affections a wide grin that prompted Lara to her roll eyes in exasperation before he offered her his hand and flicked his head toward the center of the camp where many couples were dancing together just as the band had started playing a slow dance."I came here because I wanted to ask if you would like to dance with me."

Lara stared at him with pure disdain written across her features and shook her head at him, the words rolling off her tongue like some kind of poisoned curse threatening to burn the inside of her mouth with acid."I am not interested in dancing with you, Errol, nor will I ever, **ever** be involved in any type of relationship with you. In fact, I'd much rather bond with a terribly-ill baby halla than waste even the smallest second being **anywhere** near **you**. Now, if you don't mind, I'd really appreciate being left alone by you and allowed to prepare myself for the archery competition that is supposed to happen later on tonight in peace. _Dareth shiral_."

She then pushed off the tree she'd been leaning against, turned away from him, and coldly walked so she could get as far away from him as possible.

* * *

><p>Magnus sighed deeply and rubbed his temples wearily as he sat down on a bench in front of his <em>aravel<em> after he and the other clan keepers had adjourned their meeting for tonight and gone off to enjoy the rest of the evening. The dark-haired keeper was quite grateful for the chance to relax a little bit until he would have to converse with the other keepers _mahvir_ morning once again. He had a great amount of respect for his fellow keepers, but some of them were just far too frustrating sometimes for even his extremely calm, soothing, and patient demeanor to endure.

Keeper Gisharel of Ralaferin Clan, for example, was undoubtably a very polite and respectable man, but he was getting to be rather old now and sometimes seemed oblivious to everything that happened around him. Keepers Ilshae and Solan, who were part of the Amyl and Calol Clans respectively, were also two keepers who Manus got along just fine with depsite their occasional differences. There were a few other keepers with whom he had some problems with, though such things were rare and almost never occurred.

Keeper Zathrian of the Levine Clan, however, was a completely different story from the others. Not only did the old man rather rudely refuse to reveal how he was able to regain the immortality of their _Elvhenan_ ancestors, but he was also very sly, curt, arrogant, odious, and disdainful, especially toward Magnus. The two of them had never gotten along well and disliked each other intensely, but both would be lying if they claimed to not have a sort of grudging respect for one another. Magnus himself was not at all against the idea of at least trying to form a friendship with the old man because of their equal status as keepers, but knew that it was not worth wasting his nerves and energy on and so simply settled for avoiding Keeper Zathran as much as possible until the gathering was supposed to end in the next week or so.

"Are you alright?" The feeling of a hand touching his shoulder caused the dark-haired keeper to turn his head and see that Ashalle had sat down beside him just a moment ago and was staring at him with a look of slight concern on her face.

"Let me guess," She said with a sigh,"Zathrian's been driving you insane again with his arrogant, pain in the arse, attitude?"

"I'm somewhat used to it by now, _lethallan_." Magnus replied truthfully with a wry smile."It's not like I can really expect anything less from someone as proud of himself and disdainful as Keeper Zathrian."

"True." Ashalle agreed with a light laugh before her face quickly became serious again and she crossed her arms over her chest with a sigh."But that still doesn't mean he has the right to act the way he does. It makes me wonder how his clan manages to put up with him every single day of their lives."

Magnus chuckled dryly."He is their keeper, _lethallan_, meaning that they have literally grown up with him since they were born. I think it is safe to say that they are probably so used to the way he often behaves that they actually fail to even notice it most of the time."

Ashalle laughed lightly in agreement."Also true."

It had always felt good whenever Magnus spoke with Ashalle; they had grown up together and were completely inseparable as _len_, but once the two of them had gotten older and needed to begin their training in what particular job they would have in the clan, they could not spend as much time together as they once did during their childhood years.

In his own case, Magnus needed to keep up with his studies as their former and now _din_ Keeper Thalia's First while Ashalle was one of the few females who did not wish to become hunters or storytellers, and instead chose to learn the art of weaving and carving along with a few other _Elvhen_ women. That talent had actually come in handy when she helped him carve the staff which he now carried as keeper and treasured deeply. Since Magnus'd been keeper for several years now, any time they were able to spend together was even more rare though still greatly cherished.

The thought brought a small smile to Magnus's face. Some people'd thought that he and Ashalle might end up bonding with each other one day, but the two only saw one another as very good friends and siblings; nothing more, nothing less. There was also the fact that Ashalle and their clan's Chief Hunter Zephyr were both obviously attracted to one another despite the fact that both of them refused to admit it.

Magnus stifled a sigh as he remembered his _din_ mentor, Keeper Thalia. His parents were not much of an easy topic either, _mamae_ having died while giving birth to him and _papae_ dying of an illness of the lungs that he was believed to have received whilst trading in a _shemlen_ village that the clan'd camped not too far from. Naturally because he was one of the few _Elvhen_ mages born into the Sabrae Clan, Thalia'd been quick to take him under her care and begin training him to be her First. It was not a period of his life that Magnus remembered with _nehn_.

On the outside, Keeper Thalia was undeniably one of the most beautiful _Elvhen_ woman to have existed with sapphire eyes and long brown hair that flowed down to the small of her back. On the inside, however, she was considered worse than the Dread Wolf Himself by the lot of her clan. Since the beginning, Thalia was strict, blunt, impatient, and cold with her new apprentice, going as far as to strike him for making even the smallest of mistakes when casting spells or learning to read the _Elvhen_ language. She answered most of his questions with blunt responses or icy glares if not both.

The only times she'd ever actually cracked a smile was when she smirked after seeing him cry before striking him yet again and also when she ordered the hunters to murder any _shemlen_ they came across, be they men, women, children, the elderly, she simply did not care in the slightest about the loss of even her own clan sometimes. Keeper Zathrian was cruel and disdainful without a doubt toward th _shemlen_, but even Magnus'd witnessed even the old man give a shudder or two whenever dealing with Thalia during the gatherings of the clans.

Although he was too frightened at the time to say anything, Magnus disagreed with Thalia's beliefs on the _shemlen_. He did not understand why those who lived in the present should blamed and punished for the actions of those who lived in the past. It was so difficult for him to fathom, which was why after becoming keeper himself after Thalia's death, he'd taken more than a few of his fellow Dalish by surprise with his friendly and kind behavior toward any humans they stumbled upon and forbade anyone in his clan from harming any humans they came across. The Dalish were only to attack if attacked, and act only in self-defense, not out of spite.

Marethari was also among those rare mages who were born to the Sabrae Clan, being only a year or two younger than Magnus himself been when she began her own training as his First. Originally, Marethari seemed to avoid making eye contact with him and spoke only when spoken to, her voice always so soft and quiet that he sometimes had trouble hearing what she was trying to say. It wasn't too long before he realized why she acted so humble and hesitant around him; she was afraid of him treating her the same way Thalia had once treated him.

'I am **nothing** like she was.' Magnus thought firmly.

He and Marethari were in the middle of a lesson once when the poor girl made a mistake and failed miserably in performing a nature spell he had been teaching her that day. Before Magnus could so much as blink, Marethari started crying and falling to her knees while begging for forgiveness for her failure, clearly dreading whatever punishment she thought he would inflict on her for had broken his heart to see her act this way, and knowing full well just how Thalia would have reacted to him making such a mistake, Magnus refused to treat his apprentice the same terrible way that Thalia had treated him. He was better than Thalia, stronger than Thalia, and kinder than Thalia.

With a little bit of gentle encouragement, Magnus was able to soothe Marethari's fears and convince her to keep trying until she finally succeeded. He treated the girl as if she was his own daughter and he gave the exact same curtesy toward the rest of his clan and his people. It was this type of attitude that earned many friends as well as many enemies among his fellow Dalish, but Magnus was not bothered by those who scoffed at his notions of peace and friendship. People could say whatever they wished to say about him when they thought he was not listening, for he cared not of their jeers and would never change his beliefs based on the opinions of those who spat cruel words at him behind his back as he passed by or went as far as to state right to his face that he did not deserve to be called a Dalish man or a keeper.

'Let them think what they want to think.' He thought.'If they all wish to forever be blinded by hatred and violence, then so be it.'

"Judging by that half-distant, half-determined look on your face, I'm going to assume you've been so lost in thought these past five minutes and have thus not heard a single word that I just said to you." Ashalle spoke in tone of voice that feigned disinterest as she inspected her nails and the corner of her mouth quirked up slightly into the smallest of smirks while the slightest hint of mirth glinted from the corner of her eye. Her brief amusement faded, however, as quickly as it had appeared, and her face adopted more of a somber and concerned look.

"Thalia again?" She asked softly.

Magnus stifled a sigh, an almost inaudible humorless laugh escaping his lips as he nodded curtly in response. Ashalle knew him far too well. He'd tried to put the past behind him, mostly succeeding, but still always remembering those unpleasant childhood memories from his time with Thalia. Most of the bruises that her strikes had given him had mostly faded, though there were still a few that required more time to heal while others would most likely stay with him for the rest of his life.

Ashalle sighed deeply, lowering her eyes."She's gone, _lethallin_." She whispered, placing a hand on his shoulder and giving it a gentle squeeze for comfort."Gone and not coming back."

"I know." Magnus replied with a sigh as he bit his lip and lowered his head like a forlorn _da'len_. As a keeper, he could not afford to show emotion, nor to even **have** any emotions. If a clan's keeper ever showed fear, sadness, or panic, then the entire clan would feel these emotions as well and that was **not** something their people could afford to let happen. It was because of this that he learned to always put on this calm and soothing demeanor on the outside in front of others even when both his mind and soul screamed for him to release all the anguish, despair, dread, and anger he felt sometime on the inside.

Ashalle did not respond, knowing already what thoughts currently plagued his mind and understanding how he felt completely. Heck, she was literally the **only** person who fully, truly understood him and the only person who he ever could show his true self to. This woman may have been very nosy when it came to his personal affairs and often a pain in the neck to deal with, but she was still his friend, his sister, and the only person who understood and would always be there for him. He was lucky to have her as a friend.

The two simply sat there together for awhile in silence, for no words were needed, and so they stayed like that until about half-an-hour later when the competitions between all of the clans began, and they slowly stood up in unison and walked toward the soon-to-begin festivities without a single word ever being spoken between them.

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><p><em>(Sighs) Okay, so it's been awhile since my last update and I apologize for the delay but in addition to having a very busy life lately I've also been playing Dragon Age Inquisition but things seem to have returned to normal for me for now so my updates should be back to their usual schedule but I make no promises. In the meantime, please remember to review, leave constructive criticism, but no flames!<em>

_Elven Translations:_

__Arlathvhen (Literally: For the love of the people) Meeting of the Dalish clans that occurs every ten years. __

_Shems/Shemlen - Humans_

_Elvhen - (Literally: Our people) Elven name for their own race. _

_Elvhenan (Literally: Place of our people/Our hearts) Original name for the elven civilization. _

_Len - Child/Children _

_Seth'lin - Thin blood (heavy insult) _

_Da'assan - Little arrow; Master Varathorn's nickname for Lara _

_Da'len - Little child_

_Abelas - Sorry _

_Dareth shiral - Farewell _

__Lethallan - Friend/Kinswoman (Female)__

__Lethallin - Friend/Kinsman (Male) __

_Vallaslin - (Literally: Blood writing) The art of tattooing adopted by the Dalish to display their worship of the traditional elven pantheon. It also signifies each elf's coming into the status of adulthood among their clan. _

_Mythal - (Literally: The great protector) Chief elven goddess; Wife of Elgar'nan; Goddess of love, protection, and motherhood. _

__Andruil - Goddess of hunt __

__Ghilan'nain - Mother of the halla__

__Asha'alas (Literally: Dirty woman) Whore __

__Mamae - Mother __

__Papae - Father__

__Nehn - Joy__

_Aravel - A wagon or tent used by the Dalish; humans call them "landships" _

__Mahvir - Tomorrow __

_Din - (Literally Not/Isn't) Used to indicate someone who is dead. _

_Lyrics to Suledin (Endure) An Elvish Song:_

_Elvish:_

_Melava inan enansal  
>ir su araval tu elvaral<br>u na emma abelas  
>in elgar sa vir mana<br>in tu setheneran din emma na_

_lath sulevin  
>lath araval ena<br>arla ven tu vir mahvir  
>melana 'nehn<br>enasal ir sa lethalin_

_English:_

_Time was once a blessing  
>but long journeys are made longer<br>when alone within.  
>Take spirit from the long ago<br>but do not dwell in lands no longer yours._

_Be certain in need,  
>and the path will emerge<br>to a home tomorrow  
>and time will again<br>be the joy it once was _

_Next up: Chapter 4:Vir El'Vhenan (Way of Our Hearts)_


	6. Chapter 4:Vir El'Vhenan

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Dragon Age or anything related to it.**

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><p>"Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of other's opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary."<br>— Steve Jobs

**Chapter 4:Vir El'Vhenan (Way Of Our Hearts)**

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><p>As they slowly came to a stop at the center of the camp, Magnus reluctantly released Ashalle's hands as she moved it away from his shoulder and lowered her eyes. Magnus's briefly flickered at his friend before he shut them tightly, took a deep breath, and signed as quietly as possible so that the other Dalish who were also now making their way toward the soon-to-begin festivities. Magnus swiftly opened his eyes, straightened his posture, and swallowed down all of his emotions as the calm yet confident mask he'd always worn in front of his clan and other Dalish made rapidly it's face back onto his face. It was time for the real Magnus Mahariel to shut down while the ever so prideful and dutiful Keeper Mahariel turned back on again.<p>

Within minutes all of the Dalish were fully gathered, chatting amongst themselves in excitement and watching with impatiently eager eyes and expressions forfell the festivties of the night to finally begin. The _len_ were unable to stand still, struggling to get out of their parents and older siblings' protective grasp while a few others chased after one another in circle until some of the _hahren'en _yelled at them sharply to immediately calm down and behave like adults. That had helped quiet them down and it wasn't long before Keeper Zathrian started making his way to the center of the crows while gesturing for his fellow keepers to slowly do the same along with their Firsts.

Marethari quickly and quietly moved to Magnus's side and Magnus gave her a soft smile of encouragement that she responded to by nodding her head respectively and giving off an air of pride as she walked side-by-by with him to the center. Zathrian's eyes met Magnus's for a moment, glinting with the slightest hint of disdain like they always did. How very predictable of the old man. Magnus was not surprised at all, not even a little. In fact, he would have been **worried** and perhaps even a little bit **offended** if the old man didn't throw him a disdainful glare or two during the entire gathering.

Once all of the keepers and their Firsts were standing in a circle beside him, Zathrian abruptly brought up a hand to silence anymore whispers or shouts that could still be heard from his fellow Dalish, and as soon as his hand went up, all was completely and very suddenly quiet. A satisfied smile crossed the elderly keeper's lips, his head lowering in a small nod that received respectful bows from the other elves present in response. The smile vanished from his face almost as quickly as it had appeared as Zathrian took a small step back and gave a curt nod to Magnus who nodded silently back before wrapping an arm around Marethari's shoulders and replacing Zathrian in front of his fellow keepers and Dalish.

"_Aneth ara__, ma linelvhenan." _Magnus spoke evenly and politely as he adressed the crowd, having went over what he would say tonight several times in his head."_Sa nehn tu'inan ma'en_."

"_Andaran atish'an, gisir_." The rest of the gathered Dalish responded in unison, their voices mixing into one sound.

"It has been more than ten years since we of the _Elvhenan_ last came together during the last _Arlathvhen_ and much has changed in those ten years, both good changes...and bad changes, but our people endure, just as they always have. Of all the races in existence on this earth, we have endured more sorrow, more hardship, more slavery, and more pain than any other race. Our history is built on this sorrow, and rather than dwell on all of our pain and hardships as homeless wanderers for all these years, we have instead learned to embrace our sorrow and hold it close to our hearts so that when the time finally comes, that sorrow will help strengthen our resolve and ensure that one day, our people **will** once again have a homeland of our own and we shall **not** repeat the mistakes of our _Elvhenan_ ancestors from the past." Magnus paused for a moment as he cleared his throat inaudibly before raising his chin confidently and allowing a proud smile to spread across his face."I know that there are those of us who want nothing more than to simply storm in, destroy our _shemlen_ foes, free our enslaved flat-eared brethren, and reclaim the land that was once ours, but doing such a thing will not help us in any way. Instead, it will only reinforce what the _shemlen_ already think of us and prove these absurd notions that they have about our people being savage beasts to be true and that is **not** something that the _Elvhenan_ can afford. If we are to truly prove to ourselves as well as to the _shemlen_ and their flat-eared pets that we are not the savages they believe us to be, then we must not allow this burning hatred within our tormented hearts to control us. What we must do if we are to regain the lost glory of our ancestors is learn more about our foes and voyage more often into their world. Conflict, as I have learned in my many years as both a Dalish First and Keeper, is not the answer to our problems. There are no doubt those who would strongly disagree with me and instead support the phrase, 'If you want peace, go to war', but we have been at war already for so many years and all this pointless bloodshed has ever brought us is more sorrow, more hardship, and more pain. Therefore, I tell you now, my fellow Dalish, that the end has come for this sorrowful conflict to end and for peace to finally begin forming within our scarred hearts."

As he finished speaking, Magnus let out the breath he did not know he'd been holding and moved both himself and Marethari a step back to allow Zathrian to take back his original position in the front of the circle. **That** was when a quiet applause slowly began to pierce through the silence and just as abruptly as it had begun, the applause increased greatly in volume and grew much louder until nearly every elf present was cheering and clapping in awe of the speech Magnus had just given only minutes ago.

Magnus himself was in complete and utter awe as he witnessed the unexpected reaction his words had drawn from his fellow Dalish. They were all clearly impressed and agreed with him...well, **almost** all of them agreed with him. There were, of course, quite a few exceptions in the crowd, but the most obvious exception, in Magnus's opinion, was none other than the ever so haughty and unimpressed Keeper Zathrian.

'How very surprising.' Magnus thought to himself sarcastically as he resisted the urge to roll his eyes at Zathrian's almost unnoticeable scoff and instead kept the smile on his face for the crowd. He could put up with the old man's usual bitterness and sarcasm another time.

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><p>"That was quite the speech Keeper Magnus just made, wouldn't you agree, <em>da'assan<em>?" Master Varathorn commented in a whisper as the crowd started to settle down and Keeper Zathrian began speaking shortly afterwards.

Lara nodded tentatively."It doesn't seem like Keeper Zathrian approves of his ideas very much, though." She said thoughtfully, having noticed the disdainful glint in her keeper's eyes whenever he looked at Keeper Magnus."

Varathorn sighed deeply, as if this was not the first time this particular topic had been brought up before him."Our keeper has never truly thought much of Keeper Magnus and though they both undoubtedly respect one another and are very discreet most of the time, Keeper Zathrian's great dislike of Keeper Magnus is a mutual feeling shared between them both."

Lara chewed on her bottom lip. After hearing Keeper Magnus's rather moving and impressive speech, she help but feel slightly intrigued by him and his ideas about their people as well as the _shemlen_. She'd heard the name Magnus Mahriel mentioned a few times by her own keeper but it was rarely brought up in a good way. Despite having never personally met the man yet, Lara already knew full well that Keeper Zathrian was not at all fond of Keeper Magnus in the slightest, a fact that Varathorn had just cofirmed for her.

'He is rather handsome.' She thought to herself, taking note of his dark blues that glinted with kindness, calmness, and confidence all rolled into one, as well as his short black hair and clearly tall and sinewy form beneath his robes...

"I do not think a dalliance is something currently on his mind, _da'assan_." Varathorn's voice snapped her back into reality and interrupted her slightly inappropriate thoughts. A small part of her was almost as disappointed that he'd interrupted her thoughts as most of her was slso rather grateful for the interruption.

Lara lowered her head, ashamed."_Lethallin_, I-"

Varathorn cut her off with a small chuckle, his smile kind and tone filled with wry amusement."Do not explain yourself to me, _da'assan_. You are a grown _asha_ and thus fully capable of making your own decisions and experiencing your own desires. I only advise that you be careful in your future intentions regarding-"

"I was only-" He put up a hand to silence her protests.

"I know what you were doing, and while I am mostly certain that you have no plans of doing anything foolish, I just ask for you to take my advise to heart and be careful in your decisions during this very long week we have ahead of us until the gathering ends."

Lara nodded her head at him, knowing it was best not to argue with the older elf in this moment."_Ma nuvenin, lethallin_."

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><p><em>Phew! It's been awhile since my last update and I sincerely apologize for the delay and also for if seemed a little too short, but I promise that the next one will be longer and hopefully posted sooner than this one was. In the meantime, please remember to review, leave constructive criticism, but no flames!<em>

_Elven Translations:_

_Len - Child/Children_

_Hahren'en - Elders _

_Aneth ara__, ma linelvhenan - Greetings, my fellow Dalish_

_Sa nehn tu'inan ma'en - A joy to see you all _

_Andaran atish'an, gisir - Greetings, Keeper_

_Arlathvhen (Literally: For love of the people) Meeting of the Dalish clans that occurs every ten years._

_Elvhenan (Literally: Place of our people/Our hearts) Original name for the elven civilization._

_Shemlen - Humans_

_Da'assan - Little arrow; Master Varathorn's nickname for Lara._

_Asha - Woman _

_Ma nuvenin - As you wish _

_Lethallin - Friend/Kinsman (Male) _

_Next up: Chapter 5:At First Glance _


End file.
